The lightning strike
by Radioblue2
Summary: Red's son sets out on his own journey in a new region.  He soon uncovers a vast conspiracy as a mysterious organization hunts him down. Review please… thanks
1. Separator

Chapter 1- Separator

Forest Sin

Lake of atonement

It was fitting that that it ended here. Where it had all began.

N had often walked through the city filled with normal regular people whose lives, if his plans had succeeded, would all be dead. He couldn't live with it. He had tried; he truly had, to become normal. He longed to settle down, to raise a family. Bethany had tried to…

The forest was a massive sprawling place full of aged spirits. N had felt their presence. There was something else here as well. Something as ancient as the forest itself. It had been watching N. In every backward glance he took he saw the shadows of the guardian of this divine land.

The forest was unusually hard to navigate through. Each tree looked largely the same all of them reaching up towards the sky to such a height that only small amounts of sunlight shone through. N had entered the forest at dawn and had quickly lost track of time. It had felt like hours since he had first stepped foot in the forest but for all he knew it could have been just minutes. An odd noise behind him made him stop. It could have even been days he thought.

The lake now spread out in front of him. He sat on its edge admiring the beauty. The lake was situated in the middle of a glade that seemed to be the only thing that broke the monotony of the forest. The lake was light blue but as he looked closer it seemed to have no clear bottom. It simply stretched down into infinity.

N stood and took a deep breath. He smiled a bit. For some reason an old poem he had learned as a child had suddenly come back to him.

_Run to the end_

_Jump off the edge_

N could see the guardian clearly now. It was a gorgeous as the lake. Its huge mane flowed back and forth like a river. Its purple eyes were as deep as the lake. It rested on the other side of the lake watching him intently but without hostility.

_No one gets hurt_

_The waters clear and innocent _

N took one more deep breath. The air over the lake was shimmering as if it was full of crystals. He saw something taking shape over the middle of the lake. Vague at first, but with each passing moment it became clearer. First blue hair that flowed to and fro like the guardian. Bottomless blue eyes…

_If you think this is over_

N looked away and backup from the water's edge. He took a running leap.

_Then you're wrong_

* * *

><p>"Hurry up you whippersnappers! Or I'll have you all clean the Lab again!"<p>

Isaac, Sara, and Zack let out a collective groan. Prof. Oak wasn't one to make empty threats. Nearly a year ago the Professor had requested that all three of them become apprentices to him. They enjoined the work… for the most part. The main problem with the job was… well… Oak himself. Or rather his eccentricities. Oak's oddities were infuriating and numerous they ranged from waking up at odd hours of the night to waking everyone up by blasting free form jazz. It didn't help that Oak would go on rambling monologues about the three's parents.

The three were already constantly reminded by everyone around them how important their parents were. After all they were part of "The greatest generation". Over the course of two decades knowledge on Pokémon and battles had expanded exponentially mostly thanks to a group of trainers that became the best gym leaders, doctors, and researches ever.

Isaac, Sara, and Zack got the worst of it though. Zack was the son of former champion Blue and Celadon's gym leader Erika. Sara was the daughter of Hoenn's champion (and current professor of Pokémon) Brendan and gym leader Flannery. Isaac's plight was even greater than his two friends. His mother was gym leader Sabrina and his father was the world's greatest trainer: Red.

From his earliest days Isaac remembered being primped and primed to fallow in his father's footsteps. Presents on birthdays would always be focused on training. No video games, comics, or CDs it was always pokeballs and trainer's manuals. This, of course, wasn't coming from his parents. It was all relatives, gym leaders, and "Friends of the family" doing this. They all gave advice on which pokemon to use, what academy to go to, all trying to help start his obvious assent to greatness. His parents, for their part, had done a good job of blocking most of this from Isaac. They had moved to a small town a few miles away from Saffron city away from the hustle and bussle of the crowds. Neither of them had put much pressure on Isaac to decide what he would grow up to do. Sabrina wanted him to become a doctor or "Something useful" as she put it. Red had always told him "Just find something you like to do and go do it." Isaac was interested in battling but there were so many other things to see and to do he couldn't just forsake everything else just to become a trainer.

All three ran up the stairs of the old lab to where Prof. Oak was waiting. They were panting when they reached Oak who had a stopwatch out. He pressed a button on the side of it. The trio watched him apprehensively waiting for him to command them to start cleaning. Oak drew himself up. All three braced themselves.

"Record time! No need to clean today," The trio let out a sigh of relief.

Oak looked at them, smiling. In each of these apprentices he saw a bit of their parents. Sara's long hair was a mix of white and red. She wore a black shirt with her mother's badge insignia. Her inquisitive personality and knowledge of everything Pokémon came directly from her father Brendan and his father before him Prof. Birch.

Zack showed many of his father's traits. He was the most likely of the three to rush head long into something and had gotten the trio in trouble more times than they could count. Thankfully he was much more mellow than Blue (Oak suspected this was his mother's genes at work). Excluding his black hair he looked almost exactly like his father. He did not however wear his father's trade mark clothes opting out for a more stylish black jacket with red and white around the collar of the shirt.

Finally there was Isaac. He was very quiet like both of his parents. He had short spiky hair that, even when combed, seemed to be messy. He, unlike Zack, had opted to wear clothes that were much like his father's. He wore a red and white vest coved up most of his black under shirt. Along with some faded blue jeans he rounded out the outfit with an ever present yellow back pack and his father's now famous hat. Oak had suspicions that he had inherited more than just looks and personality from his parents. He had a special way with Pokémon. Oak had seen him heal and treat Pokémon he had just met with incredible expertise. Pokémon seemed to flock to him were ever he went. Oak, though he couldn't prove it, thought that Isaac may have gained his mother's psychic powers.

"I have a big announcement for the three of you!"

_Oh god_ all three thought. Last time Oak had started out a conversation like this they had spent four hours trying to catch a legendary Pokémon that was rumored to hang around Oak's lab. Zack finally caught the Pokémon. It turned out to be a Munchlax. The Munchlax, now Zack's responsibility, had become an incredible nuisance. It seemed to go out of its way to make Zack's life worse. The same Munchlax was currently sitting on Oak's desk looking though Zack's backpack.

"I swear to god if you touch my lunch…" Zack muttered under his breath.

Just after Zack said this Munchlax found a brown paper sack with Zack's lunch in it. It reached in and pulled out a chocolate bar. He looked at Zack for a moment before shoving it down its throat.

Zack was trembling with rage as Prof. Oak continued.

"As you may have heard discoveries over the past five years or so have lead to contacts with a new region: Saigo."

The three of them looked at each other. Of course they had heard of it! Saigo: the new land. A land to be explored!

"You three have been my apprentices for the better part of a year now and I'm finally going to put you to work! My old friend Prof. Spruce has been studying the region intensely and has finally acquired the funds to build a research lab in a small town in the western part of Saigo. Spruce needs someone to explore and record the region. And I have suggested you!"

The three gasped. They were going to be sent on their own Pokémon journey!

"Previously it was next to impossible to get to Saigo. Even though it is connected to every region except Hoenn the great Black mountain range blocks nearly all transportation from Johto or Kanto. On the other side an arctic desert blocks access from Unova or Sinnoh. And odd wind and ocean currents make entrance by sea or air unthinkable. But new technology in transportation perfected by one (ahem) Samuel Oak has allowed fairly easy transportation by train through the Black mountain range. Tomorrow after doing your collective duties around the lab (collective groan) you will be on the magnet rail to Canvas town."

The three friends were almost jumping with joy. "I get to leave munchlax behind!" Zack was almost crying with happiness.

"You will receive a pokedex from Prof. Spruce when you get there. It is very important that you catch as many Pokémon as you can. We know that there are some new Pokémon out there but we are very interested in the differences between a Pokémon that lives in Saigo and a Pokémon that lives in another region."

Oak looked over at Munchlax who was, at the moment, munching on Zack's cheese sandwich.

"Oh yes and Zack would you mind taking that Munchlax you caught with you? It's becoming quite a bother."


	2. Setting forth

Chapter 2- Setting forth

He was proud to have walked down this hall many times in his life. This consecrated ground was a second home to him. Those trainers that had come before him and those that would come after, their spirits seemed to fill this place up with an indescribable ecstasy.

He was, in all honesty, surprised to be called up. It had been over a year since any one had even dared challenge the League of Legends.

The league was the ultimate challenge for every trainer. Here, in the shadow of the great Mt. Silver waited the four greatest trainers in the world, ready for any one worthy enough to challenge them.

The task of even getting here was incredibly arduous. If one was to even think of challenging the league they first must acquire all eight gym badges from their region. After that, they would have to defeat the elite four and the champion of their region. Only after that could they make the long trip through and across Mt. Silver to challenge the League.

The league was made up of four former champions. First was Steven Stone the Master of Steel. Most challengers would simply collapse here on their first challenge. Steven was a master of defense and his Metagross was a force of nature taking out most of his opponents' pokemon in a few hits.

Afterwards was Steven's wife Cynthia. Cynthia specialized in no one type making her team a smattering mix of pokemon from her home land of Sinnoh. Her Lucario was dreaded for its incredible speed and power.

Then came Lance Drake. Lance was a true master of Dragons. He was one of the few people in the world to catch a legendary pokemon his psychic-dragon Latios. Lance also had the ability to speak to his pokemon giving him an indescribable bond with them.

And each of them had been defeated leaving only the champion left.

Hewas now near the entrance. The crowd was roaring as he stepped out to meet this challenger. The announcer was saying something but he could not hear. He just saw bottomless blue eyes…

* * *

><p>Isaac woke with a start. A smooth voice began talking from somewhere above his head.<p>

"We will be arriving Canvas town in approximately five minutes."

He was still on the train. It was only in his dreams that he had been in that stadium. He shook his head and tried to take stock of his surroundings. A few chairs away from him, Sara had her earphones in and was stroking her Cyndiquill which was situated on her lap. Isaac didn't see Zack anywhere. He was probably looking the food cart for Munchlax. Isaac smiled. This would have been the tenth time Munchlax had sent Zack off to find him food.

Isaac's mind went back to the dream. His dreams were always so vivid and sometimes so troublesome… He waved it off. His mind was still probably on what happened that morning.

Early that day Isaac, Sara, and Zack had packed their bags and had said their goodbyes to their parents. Everyone had been there even Sara's parents had made the long trip from Hoenn to wish her luck. Isaac had a talk with his father before he left.

Red and Isaac had walked around the lab in awkward silence for awhile before Red spoke.

"So… do you think you're ready for this?"

Isaac had thought a bit before replying that he was, or at least, he thought he was. Red had nodded and then spoke again.

"I don't want to make any big speech about how this is like my travels or anything like that. I just want you to know that your mother and I are proud of you."

Red turned around and embraced his son.

Isaac noticed that tears were coming from his and his father's eyes. Red wiped his eyes and took something from his belt and handed it to Isaac. It was a pokeball with Sabrina's gym badge emblazoned on it.

"Something from both of us."

Isaac took the pokeball and pushed the small white button in the middle of it. With a flash of white light an Abra appeared before him.

"Dad… I."

Red smiled "It's a long journey. Be safe ok?"

The Abra was currently taking a snooze using Isaac's leg as a pillow. Isaac scratched its ears. Abra let out a satisfied grunt. That morning, only a few minutes before they left Oak's lab, Isaac had attempted to make a connection with Abra. He took Abra to the upstairs lab and then put himself in a meditative pose. He had made connections with pokemon before, when he was working on hurt pokemon. But those pokemon had been in pain and had let Isaac's mind search their own. He had never tried it on a healthy pokemon, let alone a powerful psychic type. He took a few deep breaths and let his conscious expand. He felt Abra's conscious touching his own.

Each pokemon and person had an aura that surrounded their mind. Touching another's aura would stimulate all of the five senses and each person had their own unique aura. Isaac could always tell if he would be friends with a person just by looking at their aura. He remembered fondly the first time he had felt Sara's aura. She had just arrived in Pallet town from Hoenn. She had been unpacking her belongings when Isaac had allowed his mind to touch Sara's. Her aura was a light blue color. Isaac hear the falling of rain and the smell of the earth after a storm. He tasted an odd spicy food that he now recognized as a Lava cookie. He felt an unquenchable thirst for knowledge in her as well.

Isaac was apprehensive as he reached out towards Abra. Abra's aura was a light purple. The smell of his mother's gym filled his mind. He tasted strawberries.

_My personal favorite food. You would not happen to have some on you would you?_

Isaac felt his apprehension fade away as Abra spoke in its high reedy tenor.

_I think that can be arranged._

Isaac let his mind retreat from Abra's and allowed Abra to search his own.

_You are offspring of Sabrina! _Abra thought after a few moments.

_And you are the son of Sabrina's Alakazam._

This would have continued if Oak had not started yelling from downstairs about them being late. Isaac had started up the conversation again on the train but Abra fell asleep soon afterward.

Isaac looked out the window and saw rolling planes of dead grass and patches of snow. He had been amazed at how much the landscape had changed. The long train ride began in the flatlands of Pallet town but had soon reached the beautiful and dark Viridian forest. After passing the forest the train arrived at the rugged landscape of Pewter city. There had been a short stop at Pewter before the train went off into the sprawling Black mountain range. Isaac remembered long stretches of darkness while the train went through the mountains themselves. And now they had reached the region of Saigo.

Isaac now saw that the train was approaching a small town.

"Hello passengers. We have arrived at Canvas town. We hope you had a pleasant trip and we hope to see you again."

The train began to slow down and Isaac started to get all of his stuff into his backpack. He woke up Abra and placed him in his pokeball. Isaac was zipping up his backpack when Sara walked over to him.

"Hey Isaac have you seen… Oh here he is."

Zack was walking towards them. He had a sour look on his face and Isaac could see why. Munchlax was right behind him with a happy look on its face and crumbs of various snacks all over its mouth. Zack pulled his wallet out of his pocket and opened it. It was completely empty.

"I don't even have to tell you what that monstrosity did."

Canvas town was full of sights and sounds. The trio had been lucky enough to arrive on a Saturday when the market in the town square was open. Small booths were situated here and there selling odd wears and knickknacks. There was a cacophony of sounds that gradually turned into a symphony. People in overcoats and sweaters haggling to get the best price, street musicians playing beautiful acoustic songs, and, sweetest of all, the laughter of the children of Canvas town as they had snowball fights. Smells of unhealthy (but tasty) food wafted through the air along with the aroma of flowers.

Isaac was drawn into one of the flower shops. This one was giving off one of the finest, sweetest, scents he had ever had the pleasure to smell. The shop was run by a kindly old lady that loved answering Isaac's questions about the plants. Isaac would simply start looking at a plant and the old lady would go into the history of the plant and its uses. Isaac walked passed Frostrose ("Only rose to have that white color deary. Also the only one that grows better in colder weather!"),Sesla berry ("Makes a lovely soup. Selsa berry soup can cure just about anything if made right.") , and came to what he thought was a pot with just dirt in it… until it moved.

Isaac, startled, jumped back. As he did this something broke through the mulch in the pot. It was a small rabbit like creature with white and brown fur. On its back was a single pink wildflower. Isaac, at first, thought that the flower had merely been caught up in the creature's fur but, on closer inspection, he saw that it was growing directly out of its back.

"Admiring my Rabinal?"

Isaac spun around to find himself face to face with an elderly gentleman. He looked like he was in his early seventies possibly in his late sixties. He was about a foot taller than Isaac and was also quite round. His short, neatly combed, hair was pure white with no traces of grey. He held a beautifully carved wooden walking cane in his right hand. His green eyes sparked a bit as he picked up the creature.

"Fascinating pokemon Rabinals," he said holding the Rabinal in his hand and petting it behind its ears. "It's the only type of pokemon known to science that changes type depending on the season. In the summer its coat is dark green and it is a pure grass type. In the fall it turns a dirty brown and becomes a grass/ground type. And in the… well you get the idea."

The gentleman noticed the flower on the Rabinal and chuckled.

"That wasn't there last time! Spring is soon to come then excellent. You could set your watch to this little guy he knows better than anyone when the seasons are going to change."

He set the Rabinal back in the pot where it had climbed out of. The gentleman took his first proper look at Isaac. After a few moments the gentleman spoke.

"You wouldn't happen to be one of Prof. Oak's apprentices would you?"

Isaac nodded. The gentleman clapped his hands together and grinned.

"Excellent. My name is Prof. Richard Spruce. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Spruce and Isaac shook hands. Spruce looked around with a puzzled look on his face.

"Oak told me there would be three of you…"

"Well I kinda well lost track of my friends," said Isaac sheepishly.

"Well it won't be that hard to find them. Come on and help me."

Spruce waved goodbye to the shop keeper (his wife) as they left the shop. Only a few minutes afterward that Isaac and Spruce found Sara and Zack playing a carnival game at one of the booths.

"Hey! There you are," said Sara.

Zack, distracted by Isaac's arrival, completely missed the ring he was supposed to throw the ball into. He handed his money over to the vender and muttered to himself as he walked over to Isaac.

"Yeah where were you man?" asked Zack. He looked at Prof. Spruce "And who's this guy?"

"Sara, Zack I would like to introduce you to Prof. Spruce."

Spruce shook both Sara's and Zack's hands.

"It's great to finally meet you all. I have heard a great deal about you from Oak."

The four of them walked from the Market square to Spruce's lab on the outskirts of town. As they walked Spruce revealed that he and Prof. Oak had been friends since childhood. They had both been born in Pallet town and had always had interests in pokemon. While Oak had started off as a trainer before becoming a Professor. Spruce had always been more interested in scientific side of pokemon. After Oak had retired from training he, Spruce, and a fellow Professor named Rowan had collaborated to make the world's first pokedex. Eventually Spruce took up residency in the Johto region to train a young Professor named Elm. After a few years in Johto Spruce heard rumors of a new region. He was so intrigued that he set off to find this land. Spruce took the long path across Mt. Silver and the Black mountain range into Saigo. When Spruce had finally arrived in Saigo he set up shop in Canvas town.

The group arrived at the lab just as Spruce was finishing his story. The lab was situated on a hill overlooking Canvas town. Behind the lab a trail lead off to the north into a wooded area. Spruce unlocked the door to the lab and let the trio in. The lab was smaller than Oaks but very comfortable. The trio sat themselves down on a sofa in the living room as Spruce went off to the kitchen to make some tea. Spruce returned a few minutes later with piping hot tea and some scones. Just as Zack was about to eat his first scone Munchlax popped out of his pokeball and promptly stole the scone and ate it.

"Ah so this is the dreaded Munchlax I have heard so much about," said Spruce as Zack attempted to strangle it.

Spruce finished his scone and wiped his mouth clean with a napkin before he spoke again.

"Now I'm sure you all want to know what I need you for," said Spruce. "You see Saigo does not just have new pokemon its unique conditions have made some pokemon act and look differently than their counterparts in other regions. Through years of separation these pokemon have adapted in strange ways and that is what I have been studying."

"Unfortunately I am not in the shape I once was," he said pointing to his cane.

"I am afraid that my journey across the Black mountain range was my last great adventure."

Spruce sighed and sipped at his tea.

"That's why I need you three. I need you to be my eyes and ears. To see what all this great region is hiding. Are you up to this task?"

All three simultaneously said "yes."

Spruce smiled "Good. Now I am not just telling you to go into the wild blindly I have a few things to help you on your quest," he said standing up and walking to the back of the lab.

The trio followed him after he beckoned for them. He was waiting for them in a room taken up racks of pokeballs. Two walls were coved with them. The back wall had a huge telescreen on it. Spruce was standing in the middle of the room leaning on a round table in the middle of the room. On the table were three pokeballs and three small red devices.

"Now I understand you all already have one pokemon each, correct?"

"Unfortunately," mumbled Zack. They could hear Munchlax raiding the abandoned scones in the living room.

Isaac and Sara both released their Abra and Cindaquill from their pokeballs.

"Excellent," said Spruce. "But, I would like to offer you one more pokemon."

He picked up each of the pokeballs and released the pokemon inside. The first pokeball released a small blue crocodile like pokemon with massive teeth; Totaldile. The second released was a small bird with yellow and orange feathers; Torchick. The last one was a pokemon Isaac did not recognize. It looked a bit like a wolf pup. It was fairly small its shoulder only coming up to the top part of Isaacs knee. Its body was about two feet long and its tail gave it an extra foot. It had razor sharp claws and teeth. Its eyes were a dark brown. Its fur was very odd. Parts of it were snow white while other parts were a green moss like color.

"It's a Peakfang," said Spruce petting the wolf creature on the head. "A pokemon only found naturally here in Saigo. It's a grass/ice type and well… that's about all I know. I only received it about a month ago from a friend of mine who lives in the mountains."

"So which one of these would you like?"

Instantly all of them called out a different pokemon.

"Torchick!" said Zack.

"Totaldile!" said Sara.

"Peakfang," said Isaac.

Spruce had a large grin on his face. "Well that worked out well."

Spruce then picked put the red devices on the table and handed one to each of them.

"These are the newest model of pokedex made by yours truly. Not only does it record information on every pokemon you see it also works as a watch, GPS system, a health indicator for your pokemon, a phone and…" he reached out and took the pokedex from Sara and pushed a button on the side. The pokedex unfolded and seemed to stretch out. It was no longer red but was now black. It had eight small indents in it.

"It is also a holder for gym badges!"

While the Trio looked at what all their pokedexes could do Spruce continued talking.

"Hehe, that fool Oak! While he was helping with those trains I was making the best pokedex the world as ever seen!"

Spruce seemed to snap out of the little world his head was in.

"Oh right, sorry. Anyway that is… um…. AH! You three are to set off tomorrow to Seaclasp City. It's bigger than Canvas town and easy to get to. Just follow the path behind the lab and it should take about a day maybe a half day depending on the weather. But for tonight you will stay here."

There was a small room to the left of the pokedex room that had a pair of bunk beds. Zack took the top bunk and Isaac took the bottom. Abra and Peakfang (who had become fast friends) slept in the bed with him. Peakfang slept at Isaac's feet and Abra was on his stomach looking quite comical as his body rose and fell to the rhythm of Isaac's breathing. Isaac was soothed by Abra's and Peakfang's soft snoring and soon fell into a deep dream filled sleep.


	3. The kids don't stand a chance

Chapter 3- The kids don't stand a chance…

Isaac awoke the next morning to the sound of bacon sizzling and the smell of freshly brewed coffee. The aroma drifted through the bedroom. He felt a smile on his face. Isaac, Sara, and Zack entered the kitchen to find Spruce and his wife preparing a wonderful breakfast. Spruce's wife, Mary, handed out bacon, eggs, and biscuits on small plates embroidered with pictures of Rabinal in each of its seasonal forms.

Spruce sipped at his coffee before speaking. "After breakfast you will set off to Seaclasp town. Mary and I have packed you lunches," he handed out a paper sack to each of them. "And also this!" he said reaching over to the kitchen counter. He took a large piece of paper from the counter set it down on the kitchen table. It was a map of Saigo. They saw each town's name written in block writing. Spruce pointed at a small town with the words "Canvas" written above it.

"You will follow route 1 from Canvas town across the western knolls," his finger traced a small path over hills much like the one that Spruce's lab was located on. "The land flattens out after that and becomes a straight shot to Seaclasp City," he said pointing to a beautiful town positioned in between the sea and a huge, green lake. He gave the map to Sara and smiled widely. "Good luck you three!"

A few minutes later the trio was waving at the Spruces and set off on the small path that led through the hills. It was cold but the sun shone brightly and there was not a cloud in the sky.

Progress was slow at first. Many times the group would begin a climb up a particularly large hill expecting to see the flatland that Spruce had promised only to reach the top and see another huge section of the hills. But after a lunch break (and Zack managing to get Munchlax in its pokeball) they advanced quickly through the hills into a flatland full of snow patches and small, iced over ponds.

Sara admired the map. She traced her fingers along patches of desert, mountains, flatlands, tundra, and forests. Zack was looking through the pokedex trying to figure out all of its features. He soon found out that the pokedex could show all the stats for a pokemon including moves. Zack, excitedly, checked his Torchick's stats. Isaac chuckled on the inside. That morning he had made the connection with Abra and Peakfang. He had found out, not only about their strengths and weaknesses, but also their lives. Abra, due to its training under Sabrina, knew a huge assortment of moves that Isaac was eager to see in action. Peakfang owned moves that Isaac had never heard of before and Peakfang had to explain what many of them did.

Isaac's connection with Peakfang showed something incredible. He had asked him where he had come from.

_I will show you_ Peakfang had said.

Isaac saw an immense mountain covered in ice. Massive creatures traversed this mountain and their howls and cries had filled Isaac's mind. It was an amazing experience that made Isaac want to visit this great mountain.

It was only an hour after lunch that the group found themselves on a high cliff that over looked Seaclasp City. It was even more stunning than it had been on the map. Seaclasp city was built on an isthmus between a busy ocean harbor and Saigo's largest lake, known as the Emerald Sea. The ocean to its left was calm and nearly transparent. The Emerald Sea to its right was gorgeous filled with small sailboats and ferries.

After the group walked down the cliff into Seaclasp town Zack took out his pokedex making a map of the town pop up on screen. A few commands were typed in and soon a red dot was blinking steadily.

"So the red dot is us," said Zack. A second dot appeared a few blocks away from the first. "And that's the pokemon center."

As the group walked toward the center Isaac couldn't help admiring the town. Museums, art galleries, and tiny restaurants were everywhere. Only a few buildings reached more than ten stories tall and the streets were nearly spotless. A four piece band was playing on the sidewalk near the pokemon center. They played a happy and catchy tune that Isaac found himself humming as they entered.

A nurse welcomed them. The trio handed her their pokeballs and she whisked away to the healing area, placing each pokemon into a machine as the trio walked around the center. The center was two stories high, the bottom floor consisting of the healing machine and a buffet style kitchen. Above was a lounge area for trainers to rest in. Around a dozen trainers where in and around the center; eating, chatting, and battling. Isaac could hear a battle on the second floor and walked up a stairway to watch. He sat down at a table, joining another trainer who was watching the battle. The trainer was very short. His blond hair was cut short so as not to get in the way of his large black glasses.

Isaac noticed that the trainers were using pokemon he had never seen before. One of the trainers, a rather tall teenager with long black hair was using a small purple black pokemon with diminutive wings and horns growing out of its head. The other trainer, a girl with strawberry blond hair, was using a minuscule, white creature with yellow eyes and a mischievous grin on its face.

Isaac turned to the trainer who was sitting next to him.

"Hey what are those pokemon?"

The trainer pushed up his glasses before answering.

"The one Val's using," he said pointing to the girl. "Is an Icsank. It's an Ice type. Out in the wild they're known to trick people that are wondering around on mountains. In battle they're quite weak… except for speed. They're lightening quick."

"Johnny's is a Bakeir. Often associated with black magic and that sort thanks to its appearance. It has an incredible special attack. And those wings you see? They don't do much now but when it evolves they become quite powerful."

The trainer stopped for a moment and blushed.

"I hope I wasn't boring you. I just start talking and I will ramble on and on…"

Isaac shook his head. "No it's not a problem at all. I enjoyed it a lot."

The trainer brightened up quickly and reached out his hand. "My names Ezra."

"I'm Isaac. How do you know so much about pokemon?"

Ezra kept his eyes on the battle as he spoke.

"I want to be Saigo's pokemon professor. It's been a dream of mine since well… since I found out I can't battle."

Isaac raised an eyebrow.

Ezra blushed again. "I set off at first with the dream of being a trainer with Zalous here."

Isaac noticed a small creature near Ezra's legs. It was short, only coming up to Ezra's knees. The creature had an oblong and black head with two deep red eyes with black pupils. Its body consisted of alternating black and white stripes. Its black feet had three toes its long tail wrapped around Ezra's leg.

"Zalous is an eclectic type. It has great speed and agility. In the right hands it can be a powerful pokemon…" he sighed. "It's just every time I try to battle I get the nerves. So now I've deiced to become an expert on pokemon and how they live."

As Ezra finished Zack and Sara sat down at the table handing Isaac his pokeballs. Ezra introduced himself and the four of them watched the battle. It was clear that Johnny's Bakeir was much more powerful but Val's Icsank was keeping him on his toes thanks to its speed. Every time Bakeir would release a powerful attack Icsank would dodge nimbly out of the way. Icsank was scoring small hits on Bakeir that seemed to be taking their toll. Bakeir was fading but Isaac could detect a feel of confidence in Johnny and Bakeir.

"What's he up to?" Isaac muttered to himself.

Icsank came in for the final attack. Bakeir was simply standing, stock still, in the middle of the arena. Suddenly, the usually quick Icsank slowed to a sloth's pace. Before Val or Icsank realized what was going on Bakeir released an amazing fire attack that knocked Icsank out of the ring.

"Brilliant! A combination of trick room and ember! Just brilliant!" shouted Ezra.

The entire room was applauding as Val and Johnny shook hands and Bakeir and Icsank did the same. The nurse who had treated Isaac's pokemon took Icsank to the healing machine as the trainers in the center surrounded Val and Johnny.

Ezra was a good friend of both of the trainers and they soon joined Isaac's table. Val was very shy until someone started talking about battles. Johnny came off, at first, as a bit rude and full of himself before he became comfortable with the trio. He relaxed and became quite pleasant, cracking jokes and talking about Saigo.

"Not from around here are you?" said Johnny after Sara started asking questions about his Bakeir.

"No. I'm from Hoenn and Zack and Isaac are from Kanto."

"Kanto! Where Oak and Spruce, the two greatest pokemon experts ever, were born!" said Ezra with a sparkle in his eye.

"Ignore him," said Johnny "He gets like that anytime ANYTHING concerning pokemon professors comes up."

"What brings you here?" asked Val.

"We're working for Professor Spruce to fill this up," said Zack pulling out his pokedex.

Johnny whistled as he inspected it.

"This is amazing!" blurted out Ezra, snatching the pokedex from Johnny.

Zack took his pokedex back from Ezra before speaking. "Would you guys mind if we inspected your pokemon with our pokedexes?"

Bakeir, Zalous, and Icsank (just back from healing) were released from their pokeballs as the trio's pokedexes were taken out. Isaac's pokedex made a beeping noise before its screen was filled with a bar with the word SCANNING above. The pokedex soon listed the three new pokemon next to Peakfang's data.

Ezra began explaining how he, Val, and Johnny had met. Johnny was from Canvas Town, Ezra was from Seaclasp, and Val was from town a town in the north called Celtbay town. Between all of those cities was Gemlight town. Every other year Gemlight town held a pokemon tournament for teen age trainers. Val and Johnny both joined to battle while Ezra had used the tournament as an opportunity to study pokemon battles. Johnny and Val made the final and Val handed Johnny his first ever defeat. Johnny fumed when Val talked about it.

"We've been "friendly rivals" ever since… if you can call it that. We're in Seaclasp for a vacation, visit Ezra, and battle the local gym leader. Though I have no information about the gym…"

Johnny snapped his fingers. "Ezra! Info stat!"

"Seaclasp City's gym leader is Lionel Rush. A former member of the Navy and a sailor all of his life. He currently owns Seaclasp's fastest ship the _Sea bell_. He is a master of water type pokemon."

Johnny and Ezra high fived as the rest of the group sat in stunned silence.

"He's helpful every once in a while," said Johnny. "Not that it matters. I'm in no rush to battle Rush. I'm going to take my sweet time enjoying this vacation."

The six of them talked for an hour, not noticing two men walk into the center. Zack heard an odd sound next to him and felt himself being pushed to the floor. No matter how hard he struggled he couldn't get up. He strained his eyes. He could see two men in grey cloaks gathering pokeballs and money from trainers and a Hypno, eyes glowing, between them.

Ezra was on the floor next to him. "Rotten crooks. Using Hypno's powers for crime! I should…." He was suddenly silenced by Hypno.

Zack felt himself panic. He remembered Isaac sitting next to him before he was thrown to the floor. He couldn't see or hear him. Zack looked everywhere straining his neck only to have it pushed down by Hypno. He grunted with pain and could see… two floating pairs of tennis shoes?

It was Isaac! He had somehow gotten into the rafters of the center before the crooks could get him. Zack could just barely see Abra next to Isaac. Before Zack could signal Isaac he was kicked onto his back. He was now looking into the face of one of the robbers.

"You're next," he said with a crooked smile on his face. The robber nodded to Hypno. Zack could feel his wallet, pokedex, and pokeballs being lifted out of his pockets and into a bag the robber held out that was full of the other trainer's belongings. Before the objects could reach his bag they feel to the floor. The robber was dumb stuck. He managed to mutter "Whu?" before a powerful razor leaf struck his chest. Zack, now free of Hypno's psychic powers, helped Ezra to his feet. He could see that Isaac's Abra had taken Hypno down and now the trainers that had been incapacitated were now surrounding the remaining robber.

The robber was backing up slowly toward the door only to find it blocked by Val and Johnny. Isaac was advancing on him with Peakfang and Abra. He could see his face clearly now. His eyes were a deep brown, hidden under half closed eyelids. He looked, oddly enough, like he was bored. He took out a pokeball and released a Ditto. Only Ezra and Isaac realized what he was about to do.

"Stop him!" yelled Isaac.

"What? It's just a Ditto I can take him," said Johnny.

Even as he said this the robber's Ditto was transforming into an Abra. The robber placed Abra on his shoulders and gave a small two fingered salute to Isaac.

"Impressive."

Isaac saw the robber's eyes become full. They were gleaming as Ditto teleported him away.

* * *

><p>Ditto had transported him far away. He was now in a huge room full of computer monitors and people busy at work, typing out instructions, watching the screens, and talking into phones their only light was the soft glow of the monitors. The monitors were full of various jumbled images from around Saigo and the rest of the world rapidly changing from image to image. He watched them for a few moments. Here a bank robbery in progress, a briefcase full of money being opened, and, for a split second, he saw something, massive and formless drifting through before the screen changed again.<p>

"How did it go?"

The man returned Ditto to its pokeball before speaking.

"Not well. Jones was captured."

A sigh.

"Well I guess that proves the old saying about doing a job yourself…"

"There is something you may find…" he searched for the right words. "Interesting."

"Oh? What would that be?"

Their voices were lowered; soon the conversation was drowned out by the droning of the monitors and the constant chattering of keyboards.

"Well then… That is interesting."

The robber could feel the other was starting to smile.

The monitors turned off for a moment leaving everyone in complete and total darkness. There was a buzzing noise before the monitors turned back on. The monitors combined into one massive screen displaying a young man with short spiky hair, mostly hidden under a red and white hat, and an Abra sitting next to him. A small diagram full of rapidly increasing numbers appeared on the screen.

There were a few gasps from around the room and a single cold laugh.

"Interesting indeed…"


	4. Lisbon

Chapter 4- Lisbon

Isaac exhaled. His breath became a fine mist before him. He was enjoying the cold weather tremendously. It was a welcome change from the hot subtropical climate of Pallet town. Dark gray clouds hung overhead and he could just make out the ocean, dark and swirling, before him. He heard the rest of the group following close behind him.

They had spent the morning exploring Seaclasp. Ezra had directed them from store to store pointing out small parks and music venues throughout the city. He had then guided them to a small café where they had a magnificent lunch. They were now on _Lisbon Avenue_ a narrow street full of curiosity shops and pubs that lead to the ocean.

Isaac tucked his hands in his pockets and shivered. He felt a bit guilty. He had barely said a word that morning, his mind still on the events of the previous night.

Mere minutes after the second robber had teleported

* * *

><p>away the police had arrived on scene. They had handcuffed the incapacitated thief and escorted everyone in the pokemon center to the police station.<p>

Isaac had spent a good half hour in the crowded waiting room before he was called in by an elderly officer. The officer sat him down in a small, low lighted room that Isaac guessed was used for integrations. This fact unnerved him for a few moments before he reached out his consciousness towards the officer. He felt no feelings of ill will, only of slight confusion and exhaustion. The officer sat down across from him.

"Name?" his grey moustache bristled as he spoke.

"Isaac Entore."

One gray eyebrow shot up.

"So you're the kid I've been hearing so much about. From what I heard you were pretty impressive."

Isaac blushed as the officer continued.

"A friend of yours… ah black hair, excitable, what was his name?"

Isaac chuckled. "That would be Zack."

The officer snapped his fingers. "Right! Zack. Any way he said that you were right next to him one moment and then gone when the robbers came in. What happened?"

"I saw them coming in and I knew they were trouble. Before Hypno's powers got me I used my Abra to teleport to the rafters and caught Hypno off guard with confusion and took one robber down with my Peakfang's razor leaf."

"Impressive kid!"

Before Isaac could reply the officer reached under his seat and pulled out a manila folder full of papers. The captured robber's picture was paper clipped to the front.

"Hudson Jones. Local thief. Notorious for using his Hypno's powers to help him in crime," he flipped open the folder reveling numerous newspaper clippings. Isaac scanned the headlines "Pick pocketer found" "Petty thief arrested".

"You may notice," said the officer. "That Jones here had been in and out of jail for most of his life," he paused. "But all for small crimes, mugging, pick pocketing, so forth and so on. And then this," he said, shuffling through the papers before finding a large headline. "Three injured one killed in Bank robbery".

The officer continued to show Isaac headlines much like the last one as he spoke. "Over the course of the last six months there has been a string of major robberies. Over thirty million dollars have been stolen from banks all over Saigo and dozens of pokemon have been taken from their trainers. The crimes have always been conducted by two or more people… and this man," he said showing a grainy photograph of the second robber. "The number of people and the people themselves have changed at every crime… except for him. The other robber is the real mastermind Jones is just the newest lackey. So far Jones has refused to talk. Can you tell me anything about the other robber?"

Isaac thought for a moment. "Pale skinned, wearing a gray cloak, he had a Ditto with him… His eyes were deep brown and half closed it looked almost like he was tired or something. But before he escaped his eyes opened real wide and there was this kinda insane gleam in them. That's all I remember seeing."

The officer sighed. "That's what everyone else has said… the gleaming eyes are new but something tells me that won't be that helpful," he rubbed his temple before getting up and shaking Isaac's hand. "Thank you very much for your time…"

Isaac walked out of the room and into the waiting room hoping to find Zack and Sara. He felt terrible for lying to the officer. But there was no way he could say how he actually knew what the robbers were doing. Isaac shuddered. For a split second he had let his consciousness wonder and had touched the second robber's mind. He felt a chill run down his back. That man's mind was full of dark and twisted things. He had known immediately what the two men were up to.

* * *

><p>Now the newspaper stands were full of headlines about the robbery with Jones' mugshot filling up the front page. "Crime wave stopped. Mastermind still at large" the same fuzzy picture of the second robber that the officer had shown him filled up a side column on the <em>Seaclasp Times.<em>

Isaac passed rack after rack of newspaper stands to find himself in front of a massive building. The structure took up the ground space of three other buildings. The building was made from beautiful, carved marble. A large sign was prominently displayed just to the right of the entrance.

Seaclasp Natatorium and Gym

Leader Lionel Rush

The rest of the group caught up with Isaac just as he finished reading the sign.

"Wow," said Zack. "I've never seen a gym this big."

"Most gyms in Saigo double in function, meaning that the "gym" part of this building is only a small section," explained Ezra.

Johnny grinned. "So. Who's up for winning a badge?"

The Natatorium was made of four pools with title in between each pool. The largest of the four took up most of the floor. It had large watersides connected to it and a huge assortment of people were swimming in it. A children's pool took up a small space in the front and a diving pool was located to its right. In the very back was a large pool where a cacophony of sounds was coming from. Isaac could see waves being splashed back and forth and a few people yelling from the side of the pool but, as far as he could tell, no one was in the water.

"Can I help you? The changing rooms are toward the back."

Isaac turned around to see a large man in a lifeguard uniform. Even though he was in his fifties or so he was quite muscular. His body was very tan, almost sunburned in a few areas. He had neatly cut grey hair and had a fuzzy, gray goatee. His eyes were a bright sparkling blue that looked a bit like the harbor water.

"Oh sorry sir. We're not here to swim we're here to challenge the gym leader," said Isaac.

A huge grin broke out on the man's face. He shook Isaac's hand. "Fantastic! Well my name is Lionel and you'll be challenging me."

Lionel led the group to the pool that Isaac had been looking at earlier. As they came closer Isaac could see that this pool was used of battles. The pool was about twenty feet deep and had long floating platforms scattered about. A group of kids were shouting at a lifeguard and another boy who were battling. In the pool Isaac saw a Tentacool and a Horsea. Isaac thought that they were both shiny pokemon at first but their coloring was off. Tentacool's usually red spots were a deep violet blue. The Horsea was not a light blue but instead a light green.

Isaac's concentration on the two pokemon was broken by Lionel. "OI! You lot move out!"

The trainers returned their pokemon with looks of dismay on their faces. The lifeguard tried to sneak away but Lionel caught up to him.

"TIM! What are you doing? You're supposed to be on duty!"

Tim mumbled something. Lionel frowned. "You can be the judge for this battle then you and I are going to have a little talk."

Tim was muttering darkly under his breath as he walked to the left side of the pool.

"This battle will be between the Challenger and Seaclasp City Gym leader Lionel Rush. Challenger, Leader, when you are ready… BEGIN!"

Isaac tossed out a pokeball, releasing Abra onto one of the floating platforms. Lionel tossed his pokeball into the water releasing a beautiful fish pokemon with a small flat head and large wing like fins. The fins were a patchwork of colors ranging from bright yellow to navy blue.

Isaac took out his pokedex as Ezra spoke. "A Raywash! Its water flying type."

Raywash swam gracefully around the pool as Abra stood watching from the platform.

"Raywash use flash!"

Isaac watched as Zamora's beautiful fins changed color, steadily becoming brighter until a massive burst of light shot out from the fins and blinded Abra. Abra was too dazed to notice Zamora poking its head out of the water.

"Now water gun."

A sport of water shot out at Abra, knocking it on its back. Abra was dangerously close to the edge of the platform, its head nearly in the water. Isaac quickly made a connection with Abra.

_We need to be careful. If you drop into that water it's over. _

Abra staggered to its feet.

_Got any ideas?_

Isaac watched Raywash's fins return to their normal patchwork of colors.

_Maybe…_

Lionel was growing bored. "Let's finish this. Raywash use flash again."

_Wait for it…_

Zamora's fins began to shine brightly, radiating light.

_Wait for it…_

Lionel chuckled and Raywash released the beam of light.

_NOW! Reflect!_

An orb of see through hexagons suddenly surrounded Abra. The ray of light, upon hitting the orb, bounced back at Raywash. Raywash was dazed, swimming around the pool in erratic circles.

_Good work. Now finish it! Thunder wave!_

Abra concentrated and small sparks started running up and down its arms. Abra exhaled and the sparks jumped off Abra, onto the platform, and into the water, electrifying the pool. The confused Zamora was instantly hit by a surge of electricity. Lionel growled as Zamora fainted and returned it to its pokeball.

"Good work taking advantage of the dual typing," said Lionel. "And as a reward you get to see my best pokemon! Go Sharabite!"

Lionel threw another pokeball into the water releasing a small shark pokemon. Its top half was a light blue color and its underside was a creamy white. Its tail was long and curving ending in a sharp point. It was nearly three feet long and two feet wide. Its razor sharp teeth glimmered as it sank into the water.

Abra was feeling quite confident.

_Ready to finish this battle?_

Before Isaac could reply Sharabite dived deep in the water and disappeared.

Lionel laughed at Isaac's stunned face. "A little move called camouflage. Now use swamp!"

With frightening speed Sharabite launched itself out of the water and came down with a mighty splash. The waves caused by Sharabite's attack completely swamped the platforms knocking Abra into the water. Abra franticly tried to tread water as Sharabite swam closer. Isaac returned Abra to its pokeball just before Sharabite attacked. Isaac drew his second pokeball out and threw out Peakfang on the side of the pool. Isaac was now at an impasse. The platforms were now underwater and Peakfang had nowhere to battle from.

"Challenger your pokemon must return to the battlefield."

Isaac saw it. Peakfang's foot was in a puddle of water on the side of the pool. As he watched the water turned to solid ice.

_This is going to sound crazy…_

Lionel couldn't help but laugh. This poor kid hadn't brought a single water type. This battle was as good as his.

"Ready to give up?"

"Not yet."

As Isaac spoke Peakfang stuck one paw out over the water.

"Peakfang, Frost Breath."

A cold mist began radiating around Peakfang as it stepped out on the water. The water under Peakfang became pure ice. There was an odd crackling sound as Peakfang put another paw on the water. The ice was spreading out at a rapid pace. By the time Peakfang had put its final paw on the water the entire pool was solid ice. Sharabite, for a moment, was franticly swimming around at the bottom of the pool and then was frozen solid. With a grunt, Lionel returned Sharabite to its pokeball.

"The challenger wins!"

Lionel and Isaac met at the center of the pool (still frozen over) and shook hands.

"Fantastic strategy! You're pretty remarkable Isaac. I present to you the Harbor badge," Lionel handed Isaac a small badge made of two circles. One circle was a bright blue the other was an emerald green. "Oh and this," Lionel handed Isaac an aqua colored disc. "It's the technical machine for that move Sharabite used, swamp," He bent over and petted Peakfang's fur before quickly retracting. Isaac saw a bit of ice on Lionel's fingers. "Anyway you wouldn't be interested in trading that Peakfang would ya?"

Isaac shook his head. "No offence sir but I would never trade Peakfang."

"Probably a good idea. After all it is one of the rarest pokemon in Saigo."

"It is?"

"Sure is. Only found in two places in all of Saigo. Mt. Frost and the arctic planes… um what are you doing?"

Isaac was franticly trying to press "record" on his pokedex as Lionel spoke.

"Sorry sir. I, along Zack and Sara," he said, pointing at them. "Are gathering data on Saigo's pokemon for Professor Spruce."

Lionel gave out a long hearty laugh before speaking again. "That old fool Spruce is still working on that silly project of his?" he clapped Isaac on the back. "Tell you what. I'll give you and your friends as much information about pokemon as you want… as long as you MAKE SURE that my name is somewhere on this little project."

That had been over an hour ago. Lionel offered to take them to a restaurant on Lisbon to talk. Ezra, Johnny, and Val had declined. The trio and Lionel now sat on the patio of the restaurant, watching the sun set. Lionel told them about the pokemon of Seaclasp town, his own personal pokemon, and why he and Spruce were not on the best terms.

"When Spruce moved here I offered my help with his pokedex project. He got offended! Said that he was going to do it by himself! Said he didn't need any help! And now look. He's got you three doing the dirty work," an evil grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I would love to see Spruce's face when his little project is complete and my name is on the front page!"

The group's food arrived as the restaurant became full of patrons. Calming piano began to play from inside and waiters started to light candles. Lionel munched on the salad he had ordered before he spoke again.

"Where are you three headed off to next?"

"Well after Zack and I challenge you to a battle," Sara said as she pulled the map from her backpack. "I guess the next stop is… Gemlight town."

She pointed to a small city surrounded by rugged mountains.

Zack groaned. "That's gonna take forever!"

"Not if you take a short cut."

Zack looked suspiciously at Lionel. "A shortcut?"

Lionel slid the map over to his side of the table. He pointed at a small section of beach with white cliffs on the ocean side of Seaclasp.

"This area has huge caves running through the cliffs," he said tracing a path. "These caves lead all the way to Gemlight. You'll completely avoid the mountains… it should take you about a day to make it. My friend is the gym leader over there. I'll call him up and see if he'll be your guide."

The four talked, finished their meals, and went their separate ways. Isaac was feeling refreshed and quite happy about his first Saigo gym battle… but something was bothering him. As he, and the rest of the trio, headed to the pokemon center he saw the picture of the mastermind robber on the newspaper stands. He shuddered and continued walking. He didn't notice a small security camera following his every move…


	5. D LUZ

D-LUZ

They were the only spots of black in a sea of white. The two guards stood silent and still, their jet black armor in stark comparison to the highly polished white floors and the white light from the humming florescent bulbs above them. They were guarding a small inconspicuous door with the letters DLZ written above. In all truthfulness the guards were not needed. The door was blastproof, bulletproof, and protected by an intricate code lock. And even if a person somehow made it past all of this they would soon wish they had not.

Neither moved as the sound of moving feet came close. The feet, in question, belonged to a man that could neatly blend in to the floor. His pale skin made him look like a ghost; his eyes were a steely grey, hidden partially behind thin rimmed glasses. His light blond hair was neatly trimmed. He wore a white lab coat and matching pants. A small insignia on his right lapel of a Z with a lightening blot through it and his black shoes was all that kept the man from fading into the walls. He was completely dwarfed by the two guards.

"Evening gentlemen," his voice cool and soft. Neither guard replied.

The pale man drew a card from his lab coat and slid it through the code lock before rapidly typing in a long and complex code. The door opened for only a moment and he was gone.

The pale man entered a large room mostly taken up by a circular table. The tension in the room was tangible. It was obvious that a heated argument had just taken place.

"Ah Cello, nice of you to join us."

Cello merely nodded as he took his place next to a tall slender woman to his right and a large gruff looking man to his left.

"As I was saying earlier, it is Cello's data that proves that we must act soon."

The slender woman spoke up. "Now is not the time. The machine that Cello made is incredible by all means, but we have yet to see physical results."

Another voice spoke. "Physical results? This boy is exactly what we have been looking for! We must tell the master! Cello's machine and his battles have proven…"

He was cut off by the slender woman. "We must have more time! If the master is correct…"

It was clear that she had made a mistake. Her face turned a deep red and she covered her mouth with her hand.

"There are no "ifs" with the master," said the first voice in a deadly hissing tone.

She sat back in her chair, looking like she had been shot.

It was clear to Cello that he needed to intervene. He waited for his chance as the room's occupants settled.

"Cello. What exactly does your data tell us?"

Cello smiled inwardly. He sat forward in his seat, letting his elbows rest on the table.

"The data from the machine has told us that this young man has powers that we cannot fully understand. But only so much can be done from the lab," he watched the others nod in agreement.

"This boy has fought a petty thief and a Gym leader. It is time that we give him something more… challenging."

The man to his left leaned in.

"What are you suggesting?"

"I am suggesting," he paused. "That someone from Zealot directly battles him."

There was an uproar of whispers and mummers. Cello patently waited.

"We have been watching him. I know that today he will pass through the sea caves to Gemlight town. If someone was to trail and battle him in the caves…"

The man to his right nodded slowly. "If it turns out he isn't what we're looking for we can dispose of him easily and if not…" a smile spread across his face. "Excellent."

"It will work perfectly. I will suggest that I take this mission."

More whispers. The first voice spoke. "Is it agreed? Good. Cello you test the boy's powers."

Cello bowed slightly and stood up. As he left he shot a fleeting glimpse at the slender woman. She was still in her chair, trembling. He closed the door behind him as he heard the first voice speak one last time.

"As for you…"

"Come on Isaac!"

* * *

><p>Isaac was straggling behind Zack and Sara… as usual. The ocean side beaches of Seaclasp were full of shells and pokemon that Isaac couldn't help but examine. With his pokedex he snapped pictures of scuttling Krabby, circling Wingulls, and a small, tan, bird like pokemon that Lionel called Sanlets. Isaac tried to pick up a particularly large shell, only for a tongue to stick out and the shell dive back into the sand. He was inspecting a tide pool full of blue and green colored Staryu when his pokedex buzzed. He pushed a large pulsing red button on the screen and a picture popped up. There was Johnny and Val triumphantly holding up Seaclasp's badge. He could see Ezra in the very back holding up a victory sign. A small typed message at the bottom read: CAUGHT UP WITH YOU THREE. Isaac chuckled.<p>

Isaac came closer to Zack and Sara to show them the picture only to stop dead in his tracks. In front of the trio were massive cave entrances, nearly forty feet high, carved out of the cliff side.

Zack whistled. "So this is where we're supposed to meet up with Gemlight's gym leader?"

Sara pulled out her pokedex and typed in a few commands. "It is. The yawning sea caves."

"What was he gonna look like?" asked Zack. "Bushy beard, miner's clothes, glasses…"

He was cut off by Sara."What's that light?"

Out of the seemingly impenetrable darkness of the caves, a light was shinning. Small at first, before growing into a steady beam. The beam was coming from a headlight on a mining helmet. The wearer soon stepped out of the cave and into the light. He had one of the largest and bushiest beards Isaac had ever seen. It was black, for the most part, with a few streaks of white and gray running here and there. The helmet barely fit over his messy hair. He was dark skinned and, behind his large glasses, were, small but sparkling, almond colored eyes. Next to him walked a small and slim creature, coming up to the miner's waist. It had three razor sharp claws on its pink hands, long arms, and short red legs. It was smiling, showing off its sharp and white teeth. Its blue eyes sparkled like its trainer's. Isaac saw a miner's helmet perched on its head.

The miner came towards the trio.

"Are you Zack, Sara, and Isaac?" Isaac was surprised by his rather high and soft voice.

"Yes sir," answered Sara.

"Good," he shook each of their hands warmly. "My name's Kyp and this is my Clawsu," the small creature raised its hand in salute.

Isaac pulled out his pokedex and took a picture of Clawsu. Kyp chuckled. "Lionel told me that you three were dedicated to your work. You'll see plenty of pokemon in the caves here… oh have these… you'll need them." He pulled out three helmets out of his backpack and handed one to each of the trio. "It gets quite dark in the caves."

He turned off the light on his helmet and set his pack down. "Now I need to go over a few safety rules before we leave. Always keep hydrated; I have water in my pack if you need it. Try not to touch or disturb anything. The ecosystem in the caves is fragile. You're pictures will be all that you need. Finally don't get separated from the group. These caves twist and turn in every way and are full of dead ends," he smiled. "Enough rules. Let's set out!"

The five helmet lights combined cut through the dark well, reveling stalactites, stalagmites, Cubits, Geodudes, dozens of unidentifiable pokemon, and odd pools.

Kyp noticed Isaac's interest in the pools. "They're called thought pools. They allegedly help in meditative purposes."

"Do you think they help?" asked Isaac.

"I'll admit that they are quite calming…" A faint smiled played on his lips. "If not creepy."

Isaac had to agree. He saw odd translucent creatures swimming through the pools. Their unearthly glow gave out enough light for Isaac to turn off his headlamp.

Kyp was a great guide, showing them amazing cave structures made over millions of years by water erosion.

"Being a gym leader is just a hobby," Kyp said. "My passion is for geology. I own an item and rock shop in Gemlight and I teach at the local college. These caves are full of rare stones and Gemlight… well you'll see how it got its name."

They continued, Isaac still strolling behind the group taking pictures of the new pokemon and admiring immense structures of limestone. He was taking a picture of a Woobat when he realized that he could no longer see the rest of the group. Something moved. Out of the corner of his eye he saw something large, pale, and glowing disappear behind a stalagmite. He cautiously stepped near, pokedex in hand. He crept closer… only to see that nothing was behind the stalagmite. He sat down next to it (sighing), now seeing that he was on the edge of a massive thought pool. It stretched into the dark, far beyond the reach of Isaac's light. Out in the midst of the pool he saw a light unlike the odd glow given off by the blind creatures of the cave or the mining lights. It was a dull golden and silver light that spread out in all directions.

"Beautiful… isn't it?"

Isaac, under normal circumstances, would have spun around in shock. But he felt no fear or even apprehension. He slowly and calmly turned his head and saw the owner of the voice. She had long and flowing blue hair and was very pale. She wore clothes that were in fashion decades ago. She was around Isaac's age, maybe a bit younger… but there was something about her that made Isaac think that she was much older. It was her eyes. They were a deep blue and, in the darkness, Isaac could see no pupils. There was something off about her but Isaac couldn't put his finger on it…

"What's that out in the water?" her voice was soothing to Isaac.

"I… I don't know," He peered out into the water. The light seemed to be getting closer.

The light was almost blinding now. Isaac covered his eyes and heard a pinging sound. He slowly uncovered his eyes. At the edge of the thought pool was the radiator of the light: a small ring. He reached into the thought pool and grabbed the ring watching the ripple his hand created travel across the water.

The ring was amazing. It was made of many separate loops that crossed and touched each other. Small metal columns bridged the gaps between some of the circles. The circles were silver and small golden print was written on the side of every one. At the center was a gorgeous golden ball that glowed in the darkness.

"Light eternal…"

Isaac turned to ask her what she meant only to find her gone. He could now hear the rest of the group calling out for him. He placed the ring in his pocket and called out to them, still staring at where the girl had been.

Kyp had a worried look on his face as he walked towards Isaac. "What did I tell you about wondering off?"

Isaac was about to explain himself when a bizarre gray mist began creeping down the cave.

"What the hell?" muttered Zack as the smog engulfed his legs.

As the mist grew a shadowy figure rose. It walked slowly into the light of the helmets. He was a small, thin, and pale man. He wore a black jacket and small glasses. Isaac could see a form floating next to the man. Its color was a dark gray and its eyes were black. Its shape was nebulous, changing every moment. Above the gray of the body was a bit of black that was shaped like a crown. The smog seemed to be coming from the crown. The smog began to rise and Isaac felt himself choking.

"Clawsu! Whirlwind," said Kyp before he began to cough violently.

Clawsu drew itself up and spun in a rapid circle. A sharp whistling came from Clawsu and a whirlwind formed driving the smoke away. As the smog vanished Clawsu and Kyp readied themselves to battle the man.

Isaac could see the man smile as Clawsu drew near. "Oh but Mr. Kyp. I already know how powerful you are," he snapped his fingers and a low rumbling noise started to rise in volume from the formless pokemon. A black and purple beam shot out and struck Kyp and Clawsu hurling them into a large limestone rock. Clawsu tried to stand up only to fall back down. Kyp didn't move at all. The man nodded to his pokemon. Zack and Sara were lifted into the air and flung near where Kyp had landed. A purple barrier formed around the man and Isaac.

"It is you that I want to test."

Isaac tossed out Peakfang who, as soon as it was released, started growling at the man.

"Let's begin. Marlcruses use Shadow punch!"

A hole formed in the floor and the formless pokemon stretched into the portal, disappearing for a few moments. Peakfang was slammed to the ground seconds later by the gray mass.

"Shadow fang!"

Peakfang bit hard onto Marlcruses causing it to howl in pain. It tried to shake off Peakfang but to no avail.

"Frost breath."

Peakfang exhaled and ice began creeping up Marlcruses.

"Confusion!"

Marlcruses eyes turned blue and Peakfang was tossed into the barrier. The left side of Marlcruses was now encased in ice. It tried desperately to shake off the ice as Peakfang neared.

"Foresight!"

Peakfang focused on Marlcruses, its eyes growing wide. It backed up to the edge of the barrier.

"Now tackle!"

Peakfang rushed at full speed at the desperate Marlcruses, smashing into its left side. The ice broke instantly and Marlcruses flew into the barrier. The man looked stunned for a moment and then began to laugh. At first it was just a chuckle but he was soon on the limestone floor gripped with laughter.

"Perfect… PERFECT!"

Isaac didn't notice Marlcruses floating towards the man until it was too late. The gray mass enveloped the man and then was gone. Isaac rushed towards his friends. Zack, Sara, and Clawsu were all fine but Kyp was having trouble getting up. In the end, Zack and Isaac helped him to his feet and gave him balance.

"Who… Who was that?"

"I don't know… but he looks like he left something," Sara picked up a small metal emblem near where the man had disappeared. The emblem was a silver Z with a yellow and blue lightning bolt through the middle.

As they slowly made their way out of the cave Isaac realized what had been bothering him. The girl… she had lacked an aura.


End file.
